this is "world news." tonight, free fall. the stunning drama unfolded before our eyes, the daredevil about to jump from the edge of space, his feet dangling. >> that a boy. >> tumbling back to earth faster than the speed of sound. high stakes, the president delivering pizza to his tm but will he deliver tuesday night as he and mitt romney prepare for the crucial debate as we meet the undecideds in ohio. you were in the debate prep room this weekend with the president, what would you tell him to do in this debate? >> severe weather, the violent system unleashing storms and winds that teenager was swept away. ginger zee standing by tonight. no laughing matter. >> but with all due respect this is a bunch of malarkey. >> a bunch of malarkey. >> yes. >> why the comedians this

election year might hold more power than ever. and good evening on this sunday night. great to have you here and as we come on the air tonight, look at this, the moment that had us riveted today. millions all over the world watching, that is the space helmet worn by the daredevil named felix baumgartner. watch this. he comes out of his capsule. jumps at the edge of space and moments later he's attempting the highest skydive ever, speeds surpassing 700 miles an hour trying to smash the sound barrier. there were moments of danger when it seemed like he might spin out of control. he did survive it all but what about the record and what did we learn that might help the future of space travel. abc's ryan owens on the incredible jump and what it looked like at the end of that wild ride.

>> reporter: with cheers from his crew and tears from his mom, daredevil felix baumgartner began his improbable journey to the edge of space. >> capsule, check, are you ready? >> reporter: for 2 1/2 hours, the 43-year-old austrian skydiver floated to an astounding 24 miles up, 128,000 feet above the new mexico desert where he opened his capsule, hung his feet out the door, was reminded to unfasten his seatbelt, saluted, and he just jumped right into the record books. he plummeted at an incomprehensible 833 miles an hour, so fast, the only way to see him in this infrared camera. the first human to break the sound barrier with just his body, no jet, no rocket. he tumbled out of control for a few tense seconds, then righted himself and managed to make a sound. it was enough for mom. >> okay, here we go, felix.

>> reporter: the ente way up and down, felix heard only one voice. >> that a boy. >> reporter: it was the voice of experience. 84-year-old joe kittinger held the record for the highest free fall for 52 years. today, he talked felix through shattering that record by more than 25,000 feet. >> whoa! >> reporter: high winds delayed liftoff last week, but nothing, it seemed, could keep felix from the stratosphere today. he even returned to earth on his feet with a record that is simply out of this world. >> when you stand up there on the top of the world, you become so humble. it's not about breaking records anymore. it's not about getting data. it's all about coming home alive. >> reporter: we know felix will be in the record books. he may well be in science books as well. researchers plan to study what happened to his pressure suit and hope to make stronger, safer ones for the astronauts in the future and may have inspired some of those today, as well. >> ryan, thanks.

we move on to "your voice, your vote." the election just 23 days away. two sets of numbers we're watching closely tonight, the latest gallup poll showing governor romney holding a slight lead. 49/47 but both are looking at these numbers from ohio, as well, the battleground state that might decide this. the president with a narrow margin there. tuesday's debate between mitt romney and the president more crucial and the president's team acknowledging there will be changes and david kerley at the white house tonight. >> hello, everybody, hello. i brought some food. >> reporter: president obama took a break today to visit a campaign office, now into his second day of intense debate preparation. >> how is it going, sir? >> it is going great. >> reporter: the president is holed up at this williamsburg, virginia, resort walking and enjoying the scenery, we are told, between sessions. far from the campaign trail, preparing for his rematch with romney. >> i don't think in the history

of recorded presidential debates has there been such a momentum shift off of the first presidential debate, and so the president has to turn the momentum back in his direction. >> reporter: the obama team was quite open today about how damaging the first debate was to their campaign and that their candidate must adapt. >> i think he's going to make some adjustments on tuesday. >> he's got to be more energetic. >> i think he's going to be aggressive. >> reporter: after attending church, mitt romney also held debate sessions. his camp knows they will see a different president obama tuesday night. >> the president can change his style and tactics. he can't change his record. >> reporter: while the debate about the debate was the talk this sunday, the obama campaign is also filling the ohio airwaves with a new ad using actor morgan freeman. >> four years later, our enemies have been brought to justice. our heroes are coming home. assembly lines are running again. >> reporter: and this week,

bill clinton and bruce springsteen are in ohio campaigning for the president. big names aimed directly at the undecided voters in a critical battleground state. ♪ >> how important is ohio? well, mitt romney was there four days last week, david, expect him to return later this week, as well. >> we're all going to spend a lot of time in ohio. david kerley at the white house, our thanks to you. we showed you that poll moments ago, president obama holding a slim lead in the most pivotal battleground of them all. tonight our ongoing look here at the undecided voters in america, the voters in the swing states who could very well decide this election. tonight what they say they need to hear on tuesday evening to close the deal. >> reporter: traveling through ohio and rich with votes, 18 electoral votes, no republican has won the white house without ohio. >> good to be here. >> reporter: we met amber singer and her children, an obama/biden sticker on her truck, the first issue she brought up. >> i think it should be every

woman's own decision to choose what they decide to choose, not the government's choice. >> reporter: though she told me she knows mitt romney is pro-life on this day she brought her family to hear him. you'll listen to mitt romney today. >> yep. >> reporter: like so many families this weekend james and tiffany and their children picking out their pumpkins. people are now saying it all does come down to ohio. do you since the importance? >> i do. definitely. no question about it. >> reporter: as we talked about what they say they need to hear tuesday night in the debate -- >> daddy, give me the pumpkin. >> reporter: it's not the election. it's the pumpkin. what you're choosing for the pumpkin. picking pumpkins is the easy part. they want to see a different president in this second debate. so if you were in the debate prep room this weekend, with the president, what would you tell him he needs to do in this debate. >> i think he needs to be hard hitting on some of his issues and i think he needs to take a more concrete stand. >> reporter: rick and his wife told me they liked what they heard from mitt romney in the first debate. do you think it'll be hard to outperform his first debate?

>> i think he'll do just fine. >> reporter: we met these two women, brenda and debbie, both voted for president obama last time but says he still needs to close the deal. do you still want to support him, are you waiting to hear? >> i'm disappointed. i think that he made a lot of promises that haven't been kept. >> reporter: but you're not sold on governor romney? >> no. not yet. >> reporter: they're going to be looking for your name and your number. >> i know. i know. i know. yeah, i know. >> reporter: their phone will be ringing tonight. that's the picture from ohio this evening and our special coverage one on one, the candidates debate begins 9:00 right here election headquarters. i'll be at the debate site with our jake tapper. the entireolitical team right here tuesday night. we move on, though, a major figure died today. arlen specter of pennsylvania served 30 years in the senate playing a pivotal role in so many battles and comfortable

base battles. here tonight, jon karl. >> reporter: he was a native of kansas but chose pennsylvania to be his home. after law school at yale, he settled in philadelphia, rising in the prosecutor's office to become district attorney. he took a break in 1964 to work on the warren commission, helping develop the single-bullet theory. specter was elected to the senate in 1980 where he became a fiercely even-handed centrist. he helped sink robert bork's supreme court nomination. >> judge bork i think with all respect you're putting the rabbit in your hat. >> reporter: his tough grilling of anita hill angered democrats. >> i object to that vociferously. i'm asking questions here. >> reporter: and hped lift clarence thomas to the high court. in 2009 he again infuriated republicans by supporting president obama's $800 billion stimulus bill. he lost the support of his party and became a democrat. but pennsylvania democrats didn't return the favor and he

lost his bid for a sixth term in the democratic primary. specter battled cancer in 2005 and again in 2008. working in the senate through it all. that and another battle with a brain tumor made him a passionate advocate for medical research including stem cell therapy. arlen specter lost his final battle with cancer athe age of 82. jonathan karl, abc news, new york. >> our thanks to jon karl tonight. we move on to the wild weather sweeping across a large part of the nation. these images this evening from oklahoma where the skies opened, the rains fell and winds of 80 miles an hour hit a trail of destruction. a teenage boy was swept away by a rain-swollen creek. that system is on the move and ginger zee is tracking it all day long moving quickly. >> more than 60 severe weather reports. we still have a threat tonight and that's what i want to start with. some areas in eastern michigan, parts of ohio, much of indiana are in the risk area. in ft. wayne or indianapolis, that's what you need to know. going into tomorrow the isolated

tornado, damaging wind and hail risk goes all the way from philadelphia down to myrtle beach and one more point i have to make because this was such a big headline coming out of the pacific northwest was rain. they finally got it. they didn't have measurable rainfall in a lot of these places for almost three months so seattle down to portland, eugene are going to see up to two inches. >> that's the welcome weather headline. ginger, our thanks to you. next to the deadly outbreak of meningitis. the result of those steroid shots to the spine for patients who thought they were seeking relief from back page. tonight more cases have been reported bringing the total now to more than 200. and this evening we're learning more about the company at the center of the outbreak. here tonight abc's mark greenblatt. >> reporter: for the eighth straight day the number of people infected with fungal meningitis has risen. marcia martin's mother died. >> one of those people who could not sit still, wanted to be outdoors, loved to garden. >> reporter: the number of cases confirmed by the cdc jumping

today to 205 from 198 including 4 new cases in new hampshire, the first found in that state. and this weekend, more questions about the company responsible for those contaminated spinal injections. the new england compounding center. it's a so-called compound pharmacy and allowed to mix small batches of specialized medicines for individual patients without fda oversight. but the company is now facing a class action lawsuit from meningitis patients in minnesota while pressure mounts to increase oversight of similar companies. congress must now wake up. >> pass a law so that the fda can protect the american health. >> reporter: more troubling tonight the only two treatments for fungal meningitis have very dangerous side effects and our own dr. richard besser says that they would only be used to treat someone definitely infected and they're not an option for someone just exposed. >> on the story again, thanks to you. the navy is investigating

why this nuclear sub and navy cruiser collided during routine training off the east coast of florida. no one was hurt, there was no damage to the sub's nuclear reactor and both continued under their own power. in southern california a different kind of journey, "endeavour" trying to come home. it wasn't easy. abc's abbie boudreau is in los angeles. >> reporter: inching along at a mere two miles per hour, it was hardly the kind of high-speed chase we're used to seeing in los angeles, but it's just as much of a nail biter. here it came within millimeters of hitting this street mp. >> pretty amazing. >> it feels like i'm a part of history. >> reporter: "endeavour" already made an incredible 25 missions to space traveling 122 million miles, but its journey on the ground has been a logistical challengement just imagine trying to clear enough space for a 78-foot wingspan. that's half the width of a football field. the shuttle weighs 80 tons. that's the equivalent of

42 cars, so heavy that thousands of metal plates were used to reinforce the roads. nearly 400 trees had to be cleared from its 12-mile journey. even power lines were raised to make room for the tail, which stands five stories tall. >> and liftoff for the final launch of "endeavour." >> reporter: and after 25 dedicated years on the job, "endeavour" completed its 3-day, 12- mile journey home to the california science center where it can finally enjoy some well-deserved time off. abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> march trying to park that at the mall. still ahead on "world news" this sunl night, on consumer watchdog on the case. it's becoming a very popular family pastime but the videos showing how easy it is for your family to get hurt. if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal,

think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this. with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! ♪ activia by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful? how about...by the bowlful? campbell's soups give you nutrition, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

campbell's. those surprising little still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions

such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. heartburn symptoms causedelieve by acid reflux disease. osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels have been seen with nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. talk to your doctor about nexium. we're going to turn to our consumer watchdog report and that new trend, those indoor parks with wall-to-wall trampolines and a staggering number this evening. about 100,000 are injured on trampolines each year. here elisabeth leamy. >> reporter: trampoline parks have never been more popular. leaping from just one in 2009 to more than 50 across the country today. but they can be dangerous.

these youtube videos show chilling accidents leading to severe injuries, even death. 30-year-old ty thomason died after breaking his neck diving into one of these foam pits. that's an example of the problems with them. poor design because the foam in the pits may not be thick enough and poor maintenance if the foam gets matted down from overuse. another risk, say critic, poor supervision. >> i could tell this is the worst birthday i've ever had. >> reporter: 5-year-old eliana huffing broke her leg after a bigger girl jumped on they are trampoline causing her to fall. experts say multiple kids should never jump on the same trampoline but not all parks enforce that rule. >> three other children came off crying because they got hurt at the same time, so it angers me a lot that it's so common. >> reporter: common enough that seattle lawyer simeon osborne has 20 cases pending against

trampoline parks. >> there's no certain code that they have to follow, any regulations they have to follow, so they can do pretty much whatever they want. >> reporter: when we visited a trampoline park we had to sign a wordy two-page waiver promising not to sue if we were hurt or killed. this video shot by a concerned dad shows a trampoline park where broken springs stick out. the trampoline industry cites federal statistics that show far more children are injured on bicycles and skateboards than on trampolines but the american academy of period 59 tricks considers recreational trampolines so dangerous that it says children should never play on them, period. elisabeth leamy, abc news, washington. elisabeth leamy on the case tonight. when we come back here this evening, the stunning sight in the sky. we had to reach out to a storm chaser who often helps us out as we asked just what are we looking at here? 2 or more days a week, why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it

with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. your doctor will say get smart about your weight. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes. but i still have a runny nose. [ male announcer ] dayquil doesn't treat that. huh? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus rushes relief to all your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ sighs ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly

are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. we reported at the top of the broadcast here felix baumgartner's supersonic skydive. that dive comes 65 years to the day, though, after someone else broke the sound barrier in a jet. that was for the first time and today that man chuck yeager did it again at the age of 89. back in 1947 he was an air force test pilot. today he was a passenger on a supersonic flight from las vegas. he had to pass a physical before getting into the cockpit but tonight we have no doubt he still has the right stuff. perhaps you saw what happened to derek jeter. he broke his left ankle in a playoff game against the tigers.

did not miss any of the 157 playoff games. they did lose without him last night. they're struggling again today. a brilliant light show, the aurora borealis began with a storm on the sun that blasted charged particles out into the atmosphere sparking those beautiful colors and our thanks to the storm chaser who shared it with our ginger zee. when key come back tonight perhaps you saw martha raddatz at the presidential debate. we didn't know she'd get a second shot at it again last night. the pitch! whoa! so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid-related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium.

possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do his job. and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. insuring that stuff must be a pain. nah, he's probably got... [ dennis' voice ] allstate. they can bundle all your policies together. lot of paperwork. actually... [ dennis' voice ] an allstate agent can help do the switching and paperwork for you. well, it probably costs a lot. [ dennis' voice ] allstate can save you up to 30% more when you bundle. well, his dog's stupid. [ dennis' voice ] poodles are one of the world's smartest breeds. ♪ bundle and save with an allstate agent. are you in good hands? your doctor will say get smart about your weight. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

and i was told to call my next of kin. at 33 years old, i was having a heart attack. now i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i didn't know this could happen so young. take control, talk to your doctor. i didn't know this could happen so young. online outfit piccolo headphones buy now broadway show megapixels place to sleep little roadster war and peace deep sea diving ninja app hipster glasses 5% cash back sign up to get 5% everywhere online through december. only from discover.

and finally tonight here perhaps you were one of the more than 50 million americans who watched the vice presidential debate. we did as our martha raddatz moderated and we had a sneaking suspicion we might see her again last night, the comics and their persuasive power this election. >> i am martha raddatz of abc news -- >> even one of our own, martha raddatz, portrayed on "saturday night live" welcoming the candidates for vice president. >> we welcome vice president joe biden and congressman paul ryan. >> in an age of instant reaction on twitter, on facebook, on "snq" what the comedians often do with it can be as lasting as

the debate itself. >> congressman ryan, we begin with your opening statement. >> thank you. first of all, i want to thank the college for hosting us this evening. >> oh, boy, here we go. >> historians point out americans used to watch these debates all by themselves with their own family, not with all that instant reaction. >> we had a lot fewer end immediataries interpreting what we were seeing. we saw it for ourselves and the next day we discussed it at the water cooler. "saturday night live" has become our water cooler. >> reporter: along with the snap judgments on twitter declaring the winner long before the debate is even over. >> he still has not put a single credible plan on the table on how to deal with the debt crisis. >> okay, i'm sorry, martha, martha, with all due respect this is a bunch of malarkey. >> a bunch of malarkey. >> yes. >> what does that mean? >> it's irish. >> no, no, no. irish is i come over there and smack that dumb look off your face. >> as we know a comedian's line can drive a message too.

jon stewart pointing out the candidate who took on big bird and won. >> and won! the beloved children's character and romney could have waterboaoarded aladdin, put dow blue, deported dora the explorer and still won walking away. >> reporter: because right along with the per spadable voters out there the very persuadable writers. >> when you're sitting there watching someone, seth, what's your process for coming up with the joke. >> something like tonight's debate which we'll do on the show we'll have all the writers sit around and throw out ideas. >> well, if you enjoyed thursday night's vice presidential debate, you're certainly not alone. >> you're not alone. comedians are right there watching too. and just two days until the next debate right here. that's the broadcast for tonight. "good morning america" first thing in the morning and diane sawyer right back here tomorrow night. good night.